-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He travels in private jets and is one of the world 's highest-paid athletes , but Fernando Alonso 's humble beginnings are never far away from his thoughts .

He recalls with fondness those childhood days when he used to race go-karts -- the precursor to his enormous success on the Formula One circuit -- free of any pressure . Back then he did n't have to worry about points or standings .

His passion for motorsport stemmed from his father Jose Luis , himself a former go-kart driver , and Alonso is also quick to remember the sacrifices his parents made as they drove him around Spain and Europe during his rise through the ranks .

His mother Ana Maria would even make his racing outfits , adjusting the size of his overalls as her son grew up .

`` One of the most important things that I received from my parents was to have always this sense of family and to be united , '' the Ferrari star -- who has an older sister , Lorena -- tells CNN 's Human to Hero series .

`` You always have little fights with your family , with your sister when you 're a kid , but at the end of the day you must know that family will always be there . ''

Alonso admits he wants to have children of his own one day , but for now he is focused on trying to win more titles with arguably the most famous Formula One team in the world , the iconic `` rosso corsa '' of Ferrari .

Talking to CNN at an exhibition of memorabilia in Madrid documenting his illustrious career , the 32-year-old reflects on his early days in Oviedo -- a city in northwest Spain , in the province of Asturias .

`` My father was the one to introduce the adrenaline and the passion for racing into the family , '' Alonso says .

`` The go-kart I had when I was three years old was going very , very slow . Basically my father was walking alongside me to control the steering wheel or if I was doing any funny things .

`` The weekends were probably a nightmare for -LRB- my parents -RRB- because they needed to take the car , they needed to drive maybe 10 hours with me asleep in the back and then have a race somewhere -- and then come home because they needed to work and I needed to go to school . ''

Alonso showed promise from a young age , but his mother and father made it clear that the priority was n't landing trophies .

`` First it was to study , '' he says . `` If I do well , I keep racing in go-karts .

`` I needed to do all the exams . I missed a lot of lessons and I needed to recover . I needed to recover in the back of the car reading books , so that was my school probably . ''

With his family 's support , Alonso flourished -- becoming a megastar who last year was rated 19th in Forbes ' top-earning athletes list on $ 30 million , and is considered F1 's most marketable driver .

His first `` key '' moment , he says , was winning the Spanish national championships in 1994 .

`` I felt that this was a good moment and I would keep this trophy all my life because you never think that you will continue , '' says Alonso , a cycling enthusiast , too , who hopes to have his own team .

`` I did n't know if I would race anymore in go-karts or if my family would take me to the next weekend 's race . You never know .

`` You just enjoy the present . And maybe that was the nice thing about that period of my career when I was a go-kart driver .

`` You enjoy that Sunday . You do n't think anymore because you do n't know if there is something more coming . ''

In Alonso 's case , plenty did come .

In 1998 , he was runner-up at the European karting championships and two years later finished fourth in Formula 3000 .

Alonso made his Formula One debut with Minardi in 2001 but was n't thinking of winning that day in Melbourne . He was just happy he did n't crash .

`` We did n't have any preseason test because the car was n't ready , '' he recalls . `` It was just ready for the first race . They explained briefly what the steering wheel was , the buttons to press .

`` There was a panic moment because I did not know what the neutral button was , and I was trying to find it . I had one second or I would crash somewhere . ''

Despite not tallying a single point in 2001 , Alonso caught the eye and soon moved to Renault , where in 2005 at the age of 24 he became F1 's youngest world champion -- a record since beaten by Lewis Hamilton and reigning titleholder Sebastian Vettel .

`` When you 're world champion , there are many memories from the past , 20 years in different motorsports , '' says Alonso . `` You arrive in Formula One , you win the world championship -- that 's it . It 's enough for your whole life , probably .

`` The satisfaction you have in a few minutes of your life when you become champion , it 's enough to live forever . ''

Yet Alonso did n't stop there . He repeated as world champion to emulate the likes of Ayrton Senna -- his hero .

`` When I was 10 years old to 15 years old , in my room when I opened the door to get clothes , I had a photo of Ayrton with a car . He was at Suzuka with McLaren and I remember that particular picture every time I open the door of the room . ''

After leaving Renault for the first time in 2007 , he endured a difficult season with McLaren , clashing with Hamilton and finishing third in the championship .

His problems with the British driver led to accusations that Alonso was difficult to work with , but he insists that reports of tensions with his teammates over the years are `` exaggerated . ''

`` It 's true that you should beat your teammate to have a better reputation or to have a better result in that weekend , '' he says .

`` But believe me , when we are in a meeting or a debrief after a race , there are zero problems -- there are only good things , helpful comments from the other driver .

`` All are working together , if we discover something in the setup , immediately the other driver tests to see that positive result and confirm that that will be our standard setup from that moment on .

`` So there 's a huge communication and a huge teamwork , despite what you read or what you see from the outside . ''

Like everyone else on the circuit , he has lagged behind Vettel since joining Ferrari in 2010 , with the Red Bull driver claiming four consecutive titles .

This season Alonso is joined at the Italian team 's Maranello headquarters by Kimi Raikkonen -- the last driver to win the championship for the Scuderia back in 2007 .

Felipe Massa , the man Raikkonen replaced , said last year he thought the two world champions would `` collide '' but Alonso has welcomed the Finn .

`` I think he 's very talented so that is a huge help and huge motivation for myself first and also for the team because the team knows it has to deliver a good car because Kimi will deliver a good result , '' Alonso says . `` Myself I know I need to deliver my best . ''

And there 's nothing he 'd like more than adding to his already impressive collection of racing souvenirs .

`` If you ask me this question in 10 years ' time ... I will tell you that two championships are more than I could dream of -- I never thought I 'd become a Formula One driver , I never thought I 'd win one grand prix . I 'm extremely proud and extremely happy with my career , '' Alonso says .

`` If you ask me right now ... I am hungry for victories , hungry for success -- I will tell you that two championships are not enough . ''

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The foundation for Fernando Alonso 's success stems from his family

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The Spaniard remembers with fondness his childhood days of go-karting

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Alonso looks forward to starting his own family one day : `` It is a goal of life ''

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But for now the 32-year-old says he wants to win more Formula One titles